Chile tests its digital TV signal

Chilean Congress will be required to pass a bill regulating the application of digital television in Chile by October of this year, giving the green light to gradual implementation of this system throughout the country.

Chile launched its digital TV test signal on Tuesday using the Brazilian-Japanese standard chosen as the official technology for the country. According to Minister of Transport and Telecommunications Felipe Morandé, free overall coverage should be provided no later than 2018.

“We want to reach all Chilean households within a reasonable timeframe”, stated the secretary of State at a press conference. He also stated that the digital television test signal has been working in some areas of Santiago since April.

According to Morandé’s calculations, 85% of Chile’s population will have free access to this technology by 2015.

The bill for standardizing the application of digital television in Chile is currently being discussed in Congress and should be approved by October, giving the green light for gradual digital TV implementation in Chile.

Following suit with Argentina and Peru, the Chilean government adopted the ISDB-T standard created in Japan and implemented in Brazil, a decision made during the former Michelle Bachelet administration due to the fact that this standard enhances reception quality in keeping with Chile’s geographical features.

Chile currently has five open public channels with national coverage and two of these, Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN) and Canal 13, offer digital format services.

In contrast with analog TV, the digital system codes signals in a binary manner, enabling interaction and exchange between the consumer and content producers by means of applications.